| Facundo Buonanotte | |
| Full Name: | Facundo Valentín Buonanotte |
| Birth Date: | 2004 12, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Pérez, Argentina |
| Height: | 1.74 m |
| Position: | Attacking midfielder, winger |
| Currentclub: | Leicester City (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) |
| Clubnumber: | 40 |
| Youthyears1: | 2014–2022 |
| Youthclubs1: | Rosario Central |
| Years1: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs1: | Rosario Central |
| Caps1: | 32 |
| Goals1: | 4 |
| Years2: | 2023– |
| Clubs2: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Caps2: | 40 |
| Goals2: | 4 |
| Years3: | 2024– |
| Clubs3: | → Leicester City (loan) |
| Caps3: | 1 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2022– |
| Nationalteam1: | Argentina U20 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam2: | Argentina |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 23:52, 15 May 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 03:18, 23 March 2024 (UTC) |
Facundo Valentín Buonanotte (born 23 December 2004) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for club Leicester City, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, and the Argentina national team.
Buonanotte is a product of the youth academy of Rosario Central since the age of 10. He made his professional debut as a substitute for Rosario Central against Arsenal de Sarandí on 11 February 2022.[1] In a Copa Argentina penalty shootout win over Sol de Mayo on 13 May 2022, he scored the game-winning penalty.[2] The next day, on 14 May 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Rosario Central.[3] He scored his first senior goal in a 1–0 Argentine Primera División win over Sarmiento on 8 July 2022.[4]
On 1 January 2023, Buonanotte joined the academy of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion for an estimated fee of £5.3m, with an additional £5.3m dependent on objectives being met.[5] [6] He made his debut for the "Seagulls" on 4 February, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute replacing Tariq Lamptey as Brighton went on to beat AFC Bournemouth with a 87th-minute Kaoru Mitoma goal.[7] Buonanotte made his first start for Brighton on 28 February, playing 69 minutes of the 1–0 away win over Stoke City of the Championship with Brighton advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals.[8] Buonanotte claimed an assist four days later, setting up Danny Welbeck's strike, the last of the game in the 4–0 home win over West Ham United.[9] The 18-year-old gained his first Premier League start on 26 April, where he scored his first goal for the club, opening the score in the eventual 3–1 away loss at Nottingham Forest.[10]
On 10 August 2024, Buonanotte went on loan to fellow Premier League club Leicester City for the 2024–25 season.[11]
Buonanotte was called up to the Argentina national under-20 football team for the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament in France.[12] [13] In January 2023, he was once again called up to the national under-20 football team ahead of the 2023 South American Championship.[14]
On 3 March 2023 he received his first call-up for the Argentina senior squad for friendly matches against Panama and Curacao.[15] He made his senior debut on 19 June in a 2–0 win away to Indonesia.
Buonanotte was born in Argentina and is of Italian descent, holding dual citizenship.[16]
| Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Rosario Central | 2022 | Argentine Primera División | 32 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2022–23 | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 36 | 4 | |||
| Total | 40 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 5 | |||
| Leicester City (loan) | 2024–25 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 73 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 9 | |||
| Argentina | 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|